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Farchad. Thematic drawing on the margins. Painted by calligrapher Nasir-Kitabdar. Saadi. “Bustan”. The Chester Beatty Library. Dublin. Pers. 274. f. 142 b. 1649. Bukhara
Farchad THEMATIC DRAWINGS ON THEMAPGINES, Painted by calligrapher Nasir-Kitabdar Saadi. «Bustan»


In XVI-XVII centuries we see more complex composition in miniature painting. Even margins are covered with drawings. There are pattern ornament such as a battle between a dragon and a phoenix, monkeys and birds on the trees, “hunting scenes”, but there are “exclusive” drawings specially done by Farchad for poem “Bustan” by Saadi. Drawings in one–colour scheme have nothing to do with poem content.
On the sheet 142 b of “Bustan” there is a lyrical scene near the pond. We see among the trees a young man whose head is on the knees of the young woman. Their headwear is in fashion of 1640-1660s. Around them there are musicians, dancers and servants. The scene is in flowers.
Turn to folk life of Bekhzad school is shown in a rural scene. We already met before democratic ideas in manuscripts of Bukhara. Drawings of Farchad are in realistic style.
Non-association with the content of “Bustan” breaks a little bit the wholeness of this manuscript.